Intermittency is one of the biggest challenges to growing the amount of renewable energy that makes up our power supply. Because the breeze doesn’t always blow, and the sun doesn’t always shine, intermittent power sources such as solar and wind can “whipsaw” the grid—causing a power imbalance and, in extreme cases, temporary blackouts.

Innovation plays a vital role in that transition, and that’s why we invest in companies like Temporal Power. During GLOBE 2016 Innovation Expo, Temporal Power’s energy storage concept will be featured at the GLOBE Energy Connections presentation space, adjacent to the Enbridge booth, today and on Friday, March 4, with Murray discussing his company’s technology and partnership with Enbridge.

Grid managers work against the twin backdrops of inconsistent power supply and fluctuating demand, as refrigerators, air conditioners, lights and big-screen TVs are turned on and off. The challenge for managers is to maintain the grid at exactly 60 Hertz, or suffer stability consequences.

Temporal’s flywheel battery technology helps balance out a generating station from one second to the next—acting as a shock absorber, protecting the grid from wild swings.

Using Temporal Power’s fully recyclable flywheel batteries, which are rechargeable thousands of times without any degradation, the potential result is not just a more stable and reliable grid—but a diminished reliance on the fossil fuel-burning generators that are brought into service during peak demand periods.